Sunday, May 29, 2016

Empathy - an important leadership trait!

As we see around ourselves, we often realize how few people are truly empathetic towards their co-workers or fellow human beings. A lot of people live their entire life simply focusing on their own needs, desires, accomplishments or struggles. Either they have never developed the skill of empathy or they simply don't have the time to spend on anything unrelated to their own struggles.

However, as far as business relationships go, empathy plays a strong role in building relationships in your work place. Whether it is appreciating someone's achievements or providing support in the time of their need, empathy goes a long ways. A good leader almost always have empathy for others. If they don't, they would certainly benefit from developing this skill. You cannot possibly mentor someone without having empathy for their needs and struggles.

Our future leaders need to be made aware of this important leadership skill. In fact, current generation is so engrossed in technology and social media that it is even more important that we emphasize to them the importance of learning empathy and practicing it in their day to day life.

---Aditi Choprais an experienced leader in the software industry.She is a consultant, writer and a leader.LinkedIn | Web | Twitter | Books